Khloe Kardashian is Not Infertile - Maybe Fertility Challenged?

Khloe Kardashian and Infertility

Khloe Kardashian doesn't have infertility.

 

OK.

 

She's been trying to conceive for three-and-a-half years and hasn't become pregnant. (Definition of infertility is inability to conceive after properly timed sexual intercourse in the time period of one year.)

 

OK.

 

She is saying that her hormones and timing have been off and that's why it hasn't happened. 

 

OK.

 

Did you ever hear the expression, "If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck"?

 

Photo: Yusuf C. Flickr Creative Commons

 

Consider adding these, "If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, eats like a duck, smells like a duck, swims like a duck, sleeps like a duck, maybe, just maybe it's a duck".

 

I truly do not mean to be flippant. We all come to things in our own time. More than that, none of us likes to be labeled. And certainly not by someone else.

 

So Khloe Kardashian doesn't consider herself infertile.

 

OK.

 

And she's certainly not asking my advice or opinion on if she is or isn't infertile.

 

Luckily, regardless of what she says or doesn't say in the media, she can get help if she needs it. She can see a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and figure out if there is a problem and then formulate a course of treatment if it's indicated.

 

She can decide that she does not have infertility and go through fertility treatment and get pregnant and have a baby.

 

Then will she be right? That she didn't have infertility and all she needed was a little help?

 

Maybe this is a great model to follow.

Subfertility: Definitions and Labels

I know that Dr. Mark Leondires, Medical Director for RMACT (Reproductive Medicine Associates of CT) talks a lot about subfertility, rather than infertility. And that so much of subfertility is something that can be overcome. Hence why so many women who are labeled infertile end up conceiving, typically with fertility treatment.

 

And maybe that's really the case, that we are subfertile, rather than infertile. Because after all if we were infertile, we wouldn't get pregnant and have children.

 

Right?

 

Are we then cured of infertility because we've had children?

 

What if we want to have a second child and need fertility treatment, even IVF, do we become infertile again? And are we then not infertile if we become pregnant again?

 

I'm starting to think Khloe has the right idea. Go with she's not infertile. That she's fertile and all she or any of us need, is help in bringing it out. I like that a lot. The term infertility implies a state of being that cannot be changed. And yet, so often, with the right help from a good fertility program, it does change. We become pregnant and leave infertility behind us. At least until next time we decide to have a baby.

 

How about this?

 

Fertility challenged.

 

I like it. It's almost as if your fertility is hiding, just waiting to be asked nicely to come out. Whether it's medications that you need, or IUI's (intrauterine inseminations) or IVF (in vitro fertilization) or more, your fertility is there, laying wait until the right combination is offered to allow it to blossom.

 

So, yes, maybe fertility challenged. 

 

Whatever you want to call it, a fertility consultation and treatment is a great idea if you haven't gotten pregnant in over a year if you are thirty-five or under. Fertility treatment is a great idea if you are thirty-five and over and have tried to conceive for six months.

 

Lisa Rosenthal's Google+

 

Fertility Counselor Talks With RMACT Couples - April 11

Fertility Counselor Hosts Couples Evening on April 11

Mars and Venus on the Fertility Journey 

By Lisa Tuttle

 

Last night I ran into a couple that I worked with over 7 years ago, when they were patients at RMACT. After exchanging hugs and updates about the present ages and activities of the couple's “miracle babies”, they explained that they were heading out for a “date night”, and they walked away looking as happy as newlyweds.

How thrilling it was to see how far this couple had come from the first time I met them! Part of what I remember most about working with them is that this couple had clearly loved one another so much, and still they had struggled in their efforts to understand and support one another through their fertility journey. It was so sad for them that they were not “on the same page” during that very difficult time; not able to comfort each other as easily as they wanted to, and not coping in the same ways. They participated in the first couple’s workshop that I ever offered at RMACT, and last night they reminded me of how helpful and reassuring that workshop had been for them. How it had allowed them to complete their family-building journey feeling much more connected and comforted by one another.

 

Infertility Affects Men and Women Differently

One of the sad truths about infertility is that it affects men and women quite differently. At exactly the time that couples could REALLY use each other’s support and understanding the most for infertility, they may find that they are not “getting” each other. I have run support groups for women and support groups for men, and I can tell you that the conversation and concerns of the two groups are quite different! Both groups are experiencing real distress, but the sources of their distress are not the same. For example, women who are struggling to get pregnant are more likely to be preoccupied with the demands of their fertility treatment, the difficulty of being surrounded by fertile friends and co-workers, and fear that treatment will never work. They are more likely to be depressed and anxious. On the other hand, men in this situation tend to be more optimistic that treatment will work, hence they are less anxious and depressed. They tend to be primarily worried about their wives, feeling helpless to make her feel better, feeling guilty for the treatments that she has to endure, and they lament how their lives have been derailed by the process. They often don’t feel the social strain and jealousy of infertility because “pregnancy” and “babies” do not dominate male conversations in the same way that they do for women, so they may not feel the same need to withdraw socially as their wives feel.

To make matters worse, the ways that men and women cope with the stress can be completely opposite…. What is helpful for one partner might actually be hurtful to the other. For example, a wife might find relief in talking about her infertility and the related emotional pain at great length, whereas a husband might find that these conversations only make him feel worse. So no matter how much the husband and wives love each other, and no matter how much they want to “be there” for their spouse, they may find it nearly impossible to get it right.

At these times, it is really helpful for couples to be CLEAR about why this disconnect happens, and how normal it is. It is helpful for men to hear that their wives reactions are “normal”, and for the women to hear that their husbands’ ways of coping are “normal”… so that both sides can be more accepting, and ultimately be more empathetic. It helps couples to feel less upset about the “disconnect”, and to know that it’s not a sign of a bigger problem in their marriage. It helps for men and women to understand why the opposite sex is acting and feeling the way they are, rather than trying to decide which of them is “right”.

 

A Fertility Seminar for Couples

I’m excited to be offering another couples workshop at RMACT on April 11th, as part of our “A Fertility Seminar for Couples” evening. The fertility journey can be so difficult, but a little understanding can go a long way toward helping couples feel more connected as they travel the road to parenthood… together.

 

 

 

A Gift to Fertile Yoga Students - From a Former Fertile Yoga Student and Mother

A Former Fertile Yoga Student and Mother Gives Back to Those Struggling With Infertility

There are gifts to be had, even while dealing with infertility. One is learning patience.

 

One is finding out the strength behind your own commitment to creating your family. 

 

Another could be finding the depth of your love for your partner or spouse. 

 

In Fertile Yoga last week, the gifts were much more specific and concrete.

 

Once Pregnant, a Former Student Gives Back to the Community

One of our former Fertile Yoga student and RMACT patient, who was successful in becoming pregnant, wanted to give something back to the community. Wanted to offer a gift of hope, encouragement, love and compassion.

 

She came to me, wanting to know my ideas on a gift that she could give. We went back and forth with ideas, nothing being quite right. Lots of lovely ideas, but not quite what she was looking for; nothing that touched her heart or expressed what she wanted to say to those still struggling.

 

She and I didn't talk a lot about this. So I don't really know, beyond the superficial, why she wanted to give a gift to the current Fertile Yoga students. I know what she said. I elaborated what she said, in my own mind; to her offering support to those still struggling with infertility. For holding space, having been successful, for those who have not been yet. 

 

The gift she discovered to share, was perfect. Absolutely perfect. I presented them to the class in Norwalk and they were immediately opened and placed on their wrists. They were touched. I was touched. Deep down in our hearts. 

 

A Big Thanks to Our Former Fertile Yoga Student!

 

Thank you to our former Fertile Yoga student, who took a look behind her and remembered those women still in fertility treatment. Who remembered what it was like to feel fear, jealousy and not know if the outcome would be a baby and the family of our dreams.

 

The gifts were lovely but not nearly as lovely as simply being remembered. Being thought of; being cared for. That was the true gift. 

 

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." — Mother Teresa

 

 

Lisa Rosenthal's Google+

 

It's Easier to Get Pregnant at 28 Than It Is at 38 or 46 - OB/Gyn's Should Warn You

OB/Gyn's Should Tell You That Getting Pregnant at 28 is Easier Than at 38 or 46

Maybe I've told this story here before. If I have and you've read it, please forgive me. It bears repeating. A good friend of mine, my running partner at the time, was furious at her Obstetrician/Gynecologist (OB/Gyn). She had been in for a routine visit, her yearly exam, and everything was going very well. At least for an OB/Gyn visit, which traditionally is not hugely fun. Nothing was wrong, all the regular tests were run. Questions were asked regarding menstrual cycle, birth control being used, fatigue level, etc.

 

 

Etc, though, ended with a few questions that upset my friend. The questions were "Are you planning to have a family? And if so, when were you thinking of starting?" My friend was pissed. Indignant. She thought he had a lot of nerve. That he was nosy. In her business. And she wanted me to agree with her. She expected that I would agree with her.

 

 

I didn't. In fact, I believe that my response surprised her even more than her physician asking her those questions did. My response? "The only thing I think horrible about his questions is that he hadn't asked you them twelve years earlier." She had been a patient of his for twelve years. At thirty eight, she had been seeing him since she was twenty six years old. Why on earth had he waited so long?

 

Just as her doctor had a responsibility to make sure that she was healthy and making good decisions about her reproductive health in other regards, so did he have a responsibility to ensure that she understood the time table about conceiving and creating her family. 

 

The Simple Truth About Infertility

And the simplest truth out there, when it comes to infertility, is that it's far easier to become pregnant in your twenties, early thirties, middle thirties and even upper thirties than it is after that. It's not easy to become pregnant in your forties. It's even harder to become pregnant, on your own, with your own eggs, with a healthy embryo. So, yeah, I was also upset with her doctor. Not because he had asked her about her plans about creating her family. But because he had waited so long to do it.

 

 

And please understand something. Not every woman wants to have a baby. Or is planning on having a baby. This isn't about forcing a woman who is not ready or who may never desire a child to have one. This is about being educated. And in this situation, education equaling power.

 

 

The power of choice. Wanting to have a family or not. When we wait too long, we have very different choices. Much more difficult ones. And sometimes completely impossible ones. Our doctors should be talking to us about our choices. And if you have a doctor who is doing so, say thank you. Education is power and choice.

 

 

 

Harm Reduction- Fertility Treatment - What Can You Shift?

Treating Infertility and Harm Reduction - What Habits Can You Change?

 

Infertility is a pain in the a**. Let's just agree that's true. It's not fun or what you would choose. We give up a lot when it comes to dealing with infertility. Intimacy, privacy, spontaneity and more. Below is a short list of what we talked about last night, that had to be given up for fertility treatment. 

 

No coffee. No cigarettes. No recreational drugs. No artificial sweeteners. Not too much sugar. Not over exercising. No sex for a while after a transfer. No gluten for some of us. No dairy for others. No white flour for most of us.

 

That's a lot of nots. A LOT. 

 

We know that those are all good things to give up. We all know that giving those things up wil make us healthier. We also know that most people, most women, don't have to give up those things to become pregnant. And it's frustrating. Because we give those things up and we add fertility treatment and it still doesn't work nearly as fast or as easily as we would like. At least most of the time.

 

Our Fertile Yoga Guilty Pleasures

Last night in Fertile Yoga, we made a list of treats. Delicious, wonderful, non-caloric treats. No guilt (not too much guilt) treats. 

 

Here are a few:

• US magazine (you know who you are!)
• Decaff coffee
• TeenMom 2 television series (I am NOT making this up)
• Television
• Gum chewing
• Reading of any kind
• Yoga
• Music
• Bubble baths with candles
• Hikes in the wood
• Cuddling our animals
• Declining invitations to plan baby showers

 

Giving Up Our Bad Habits for Harm Reduction

 

Then we talked about habits. Specifically "bad" habits. What we'd like to give up or change. A dear friend from long ago wrote about a program called harm reduction. It's an alternative to giving something up entirely or all at once. Harm reduction asks you to look at a behavior, see what's the most destructive and see how you can take it down a whole bunch of levels. (This is me, paraphrasing Harm Reduction. For specifics, if you are interested, please look here.)

 

What would that mean?

 

It might mean eating less chocolate, not giving it up entirely. Smoking less cigarattes or using a patch to quit. It might mean adding decaff coffee to regular coffee and switching over gradually. It might mean a hike in the woods instead of a half marathon.

 

Harm Reduction is a wonderful way of easing off things, if you can do it.

 

Last night, we all made an agreement of what we would change or shift for the week. We decided to reconvene next week and see how we did.

 

Except for me. I couldn't think of a bad habit that I wanted to shift or stop. I had no problem coming up with extra treats though, my heart and mind can think of endless treats. So I had some extra work to do last night and this morning. It came to me that one of my bad habits is procrastination or avoidance. Not a big surprise to those who know or live with me. So I found a committment to shift after all.

 

My committment for the next week, to talk about with the others, is to clean my house forty five minutes a day. Shifting away from avoiding cleaning all together or feeling and trying to do it all at once.

 

Harm reduction.

 

Time to clean house.

 

We've all made our commitments to shifting behavior for the next week.

 

Anyone want to join us?

 

 

 

 

 

Try Deepak Chopra & Oprah Winfrey ~ Free Meditation - Tap Into Your Own Fertility

Infertility and Meditation: Deepak Chopra & Oprah Winfrey's Free Meditation Challenge

Infertility and serenity. Infertility and calm. Infertility and inner peace. Infertility and gratitude. Infertility and optimal health. They don't really slip right off the tongue, do they? Those sets of words, seemingly, don't have much to do with one another.

 

 

Thinking out loud, it's similar to the idea that when everything is fine, settled, balanced and grounded, I can have those things. Serenity, calm, inner peace, gratitude, optimal health. Those things are possible in the future, when none of the jarring, disturbing, upsetting, difficult or challenging things that are in my life at this moment still exist.

 

 

Pause. Breathe. If every single thing in your life that is upsetting disappeared, some other challenge would take it's place. That's life. Life is a series of challenges and joys. A reasonable question is, can you find happiness, contentment, gratitude, serenity, inner peace in this moment? 

 

 

I can't always. There are plenty of moments in every day of my life that I feel almost consumed by worry, fear and sadness. Or some combination of those three. Every single day of my life, I find those other, more desirable feelings also.

 

The 21-Day Meditation Challenge

For the last seven days, I've had some help from Deepak Chopra (and Oprah Winfrey). They've put together a twenty one day meditation challenge. Free. About seventeen minutes long. Day seven, yesterday, was about "honoring your body." Each day, there is a centering thought, a Sanskrit mantra, a message of the day, beautiful music, a gorgeous picture and Deepak Chopra leading you into a short, quiet meditation. Day one's title got my attention and held it. "The Journey to Perfect Health." Who wouldn't want that? 

 

 

I made the commitment to take this meditation challenge, to give myself this gift of eighteen minutes of possibility. So far, I've enjoyed it immensely. Even as my mind chatters all sorts of ridiculous nonsense at me during meditation, I've still felt calmer afterwards. 

 

 

At my Fertile Yoga Students' Request...

 

I was asked to blog about this, to share this information with you, by my Fertile Yoga students. These meditations are similar to what we often do in Fertile Yoga, a version of guided meditation and centering your thoughts. 

 

 

Perhaps it's time to try something new? Something different? Take a turn in the path that you're on? Interested? Register here. For me, it's a wonderful new twist to my own meditation practice. Like adding a special flavor. Let me know what you think. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infertility Comments That Hurt and That Comfort - Which Do You Want to Hear?

Infertility Support: The Most & Least Helpful Things to Say About Pregnancy

It's an oldie, but goodie. Unfortunately, some things don't change when it comes to dealing with infertility support. At least, not much. The places we get bombarded by pregnancy anouncements have expanded to social media. That wasn't true five years ago or ten years ago. These days there are very few places to escape hearing and seeing pregnancy news. Facebook these days even has ultrasounds of friends pregnancies. If you could use a little help about what to ask your friends and families to avoid saying, read on. There's something here for you, I guarantee it. 

 

 

If you having been reading this blog for over a year, the below lists will be unfamiliar to you. If you've read it, maybe now is the time to comment on it, or add to it!

 

 

In Fertile Yoga this past weekend, we discussed things that our friends, family and colleagues say that are unhelpful and things that are helpful. I figured now was a good time to reprint this as many of had not seen it. Below is a list similar to what my best friend and I formulated 20 years ago, 17 years ago, 10 years ago, 2 years ago. I remember copying the list and handing it to family members, whether in the words below or in a slightly different form. 

 

Infertile Support: 5 Most Helpful Things to Say

... from a family member or friend | 5 cosas más útil que decir-de un familiar o amigo

1. I am here to listen, I won't judge or suggest or offer help. I'll just listen. (Estoy aquí para escuchar, no voy a juzgar o sugerir u ofrecer ayuda. Voy a escuchar.)

2. Whatever you choose to share with me will be kept in the strictest confidence.  (Lo que usted decide compartir conmigo se mantendrá en la más estricta confidencialidad.)

3. I'm here for you no matter what.  (Estoy aquí para ustedes, no importa qué.)

4. I will not pry or ask too many questions.  (No voy a curiosear o hacer demasiadas preguntas.)

5. If you would like some company at the doctor, I will be there for you. (Si desea alguna compañía en el Dr. estaré allí para usted.)

    

Infertility Support: 10 Things Never to Say

10 cosas que nunca decir

1. Things happen for a reason. (Las cosas suceden por una razón.)

2. Maybe God doesn't mean for you to have children. (Tal vez Dios no significa para usted tener hijos.)

3. Relax and take a vacation, you'll get pregnant! (Relajarse y tomar unas vacaciones, usted quedar embarazada!)

4. Adopt a baby, and then you'll have your own baby! (Adoptar un bebé, y entonces tendrá su propio bebé!)

5. You're lucky, you won't have to get huge or be up in the middle of the night. (Tienes suerte, usted no tendrá que conseguir enormes, o estar en medio de la noche.)

6. Not everyone is meant to have children. (No todo el mundo tiene la intención de tener hijos.)

7. Be grateful for what you do have. (Sea agradecido por lo que tienen.)

8. I'll give you one of mine! (Te daré uno de los míos!)

9. Have puppies, they're easier. (Los cachorros tienen, son más fáciles.)

10. Have you tried this-treatment-this-doctor-this-herb, I heard it worked for so and so. (¿Has probado este tratamiento-esta-médico-esta hierba, he oído que trabajó para esto y lo otro.)

10 Things I Wish I Could Say About Getting Pregnant

10 Cosas que me gustaría poder decir que en quedar embarazada.

1. I wish I could be fat and pregnant.  (Ojalá pudiera ser gorda y embarazada.)

2. I wish I could be exhausted from nursing and being up all night.  (Me gustaría poder estar agotada a partir de la enfermería y está toda la noche.)

3. I wish I could celebrate Mother's Day as a Mother.  (Me gustaría poder celebrar el Día de las Madres como una Madre.)

4. I wish that I could have a child the old fashioned way.  (Ojalá que yo pudiera tener un hijo a la manera antigua.)

5. I wish that I could attend my best friends' baby showers and their children's birthday parties without crying.  (Ojalá que yo pudiera asistir duchas de mis mejores amigos 'bebé y los partidos de cumpleaños de sus hijos sin llorar.)

6. I wish everyone could understand how incredibly sad I feel.  (Ojalá todo el mundo podía entender cómo me siento increíblemente triste.)

7. I wish I could do the things that I know make me feel better.  (Me gustaría poder hacer las cosas que sé que me sienta mejor.)

8. I wish I didn't have to miss work/social engagements/family functions because I need to be at the doctors.  (Me gustaría no tener que faltar al trabajo / compromisos sociales / funciones de la familia, porque tengo que estar en el de los médicos.)

9. I wish I didn't have to have to experience another birthday or New Year's without a child.  (Me gustaría no tener a la experiencia de otro cumpleaños o Año Nuevo sin un niño.)

10. I wish my nurse would call and tell me that I'm finally pregnant. (Me gustaría que mi enfermera llamada y me dicen que por fin estoy embarazada.)

 

Thank you to Carrie Van Steen for revising this list and getting it translated. Carrie is also THE person responsible for putting together our Ladies-Night-Out evenings in Danbury and Norwalk. I love our dedicated staff!

 

What would you like to add? What did we leave out? Come on, you must have a suggestion!

 

 

 

 

Calling All Fertile Yoga Students, Calling All Fertility Voices ~ It's Time

A Chance to Speak Out About Infertility

It's time. Back in the dark ages, no one talked about infertility and fertility treatment. Well, almost no one. Here and now, guess what? Many of us still don't talk about infertility and fertility treatment. Two major side effects of infertility; isolation and shame.

 

 

There are many reasons not to talk about infertility. If you're reading this, you may recognize your reason on this list; shame, privacy, insurance coverage, fear of pity, avoiding unhelpful help, easier, sparing the other person(s) pain, thinking that you will be pregnant soon enough so it's not necessary, jealousy and envy, not wanting to be the topic of conversation. And more. It's a partial list, your reasons may not appear there. 

 

Celebrities Talk Too, Including Mrs. New York

I had all those reasons. But I had something else too. A big mouth. Which, it turned out, was a good thing. It got me out of myself and into volunteering. These days infertility is all over the news. Even the celebrities talk about it, embarassing as it could be for them, even damaging to their public personas. Still, they talk about it. Check out Mrs. New York in our photo.

 

 

I started talking a long time ago. I started volunteering. I started writing. I did interviews. I did television shows. This was over twenty years ago. I haven't stopped since. My biggest reward is to see infertility conversation out of the closet. To see it discussed on all major media and social media platforms. It just isn't enough though. It's time. We need you. I need you. 

Please Join the Conversation at Fertile Yoga on March 11, 2013

  

I was asked to be interviewed by a very sympathetic television reporter. She would like to video a Fertile Yoga class, on March 11, at 11:30 am. Most likely the class will be taught at Blackbird Yoga, in Georgetown CT, about 20 minutes north of Norwalk and 20 minutes south of Danbury.

 

 

I need you. I need you to come and take class that day. If you can find a way to be comfortable, we would arrange for you to be interviewed as well.  This is an opportunity to come out of the closet. To be with a group of people, acknowledging this very prevalent (one out of six people will face the challenge of infertility) health problem.

 

 

Come be part of the solution. Bring infertility just a little bit more out of the closet. Find your own voice and let it be heard. My email address, if you are interested, is exhale2inhale@gmail.com. Please put in the subject line ~ Fertile Yoga - It's time. For those of you who participate, there will be a little concrete sign of our gratitude.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shared Hope In Infertility Support Group - Ladies Night In

There's Always Hope in Our Infertility Support Group

We shared hope last night in our infertility support group. Literally. See the picture above. One of our lovely ladies, who regularly attends Ladies Night In - RMACT's peer support group, brought in her hope to share. There was a lot of conversation last night around what we see in the mirror while we're in the middle of fertility treatment. This is what we all shared, one after another:

• I don't recognize myself when I look in the mirror
• All I see is bruises
• I've gained so much weight that I need to leave my pants unzipped all the time with shirts on top
• My face has changed shape, I can barely see me
• I don't see sexy or romantic or pretty, how can my husband see those things?
• I see sadness and anger in my eyes
• I feel flat, can't touch happiness

Sounds really dark, right? Kind of depressing. Sad. Maybe you're glad right now that you weren't there? Always a good idea to hang in there. Because there was more to come. Here were the other things that were shared:

• Hope- literally, we all left with hope in our hands. See the picture above. There was enough to share with everyone
• Compassion for ourselves. Compassion for our partners
• Laughter about the silliest of things
• Glorious smiles
• Tears 
• Wisdom
• Strength

Ladies Night In Allowed Us to Share Strength with One Another

At Ladies Night In, what we all seemed to recognize, to one degree or another, when we looked into each other's eyes was strength reflected back. We didn't notice the extra weight or bruising, we saw absolute, determined strength. 

 

 

For every one of the eleven women last night, there are more out there who have given up. There are women who don't develop the fortitude and perseverance necessary to have losses and bad news and bad outcomes and keep coming back. We may look in the mirror and see slack muscles, extra weight, fatigue, sadness, bruises. Without question, beyond our physical bodies, what is reflected right back at us is Hope. And Strength. We are strong.

 

 

Thank you to everyone who came last night. It is an honor and privilage for Carrie Vann Steen and I to spend time with you. Thank you for sharing your hope and strength with us. It elevates us all by reminding us that we are courageous beings, right down to our core. Sending you all hugs this morning.

Medical Wednesday: Infertility | Female Infertility Causes and Solutions

Infertility is a Medical Problem

Infertility is a medical problem. While it may be exacerbated by stress, it is not caused by stress. It's also not caused by a bad attitude, bad karma or because you don't deserve to be a parent. 

 

Or, put another way, there is always a medical reason why a pregnancy doesn't occur. Straight from the RMACT website, here is an overview of the problems on the women's side of things: female infertility.

 

Causes of Female Infertility:

• Defects of the uterus and cervix (fibroids, polyps, birth defects)
• Hormone imbalance or deficiencies, often related to age
• Ovarian cysts and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Pelvic infection or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• Scarring from sexually transmitted disease or endometriosis
• Tumor
• Long-term (chronic) disease, such as diabetes
• Autoimmune disorders
• Clotting disorders
• Obesity
• Excessive exercising, eating disorders or poor nutrition
• Exposure to certain medications or toxins
• Heavy use of alcohol
• Advanced maternal age

 

"Additionally, there can be egg-related problems, such as egg production in the ovaries, movement of the eggs from the ovary to the uterus, attachment of the eggs to the uterine lining, and survival of the egg or embryo once it has attached to the lining."

 

Every single one of the problems listed above have solutions and different types of fertility treatment. Not every single person who has infertility problems will end their journey with a baby, but the majority will. Fertility treatment, with a board certified reproductive endocrinologist is your best way to ensure that your path to fertility is swift and easy.

 

There are also many things that you can do to prepare for being pregnant, with or without fertility treatment.

 

Assume that you will get pregnant. Regardless of the specific statistics of your prognosis, which give you some chance at becoming pregnant, make the assumption that you will become pregnant. Here are some things that you would do if you knew you were going to become pregnant. Carolyn Gundell, MS, our fertility nutritionist, has shared these well researched thoughts with you.

Pregnancy Diet Planning

"To achieve a healthy pregnancy diet before we create our plate, we must make time for all our meals--breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks.  Many women and men skip meals because they are too busy, too tired, or wrongly believe that skipping meals will help them lose weight.  Long term meal skipping can cause many unhealthy metabolic changes such as weight gain, elevated fasting glucose, HgbA1c, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, and increased insulin resistance.  Any one of these symptoms prior to pregnancy can increase a woman’s risk for gestational diabetes."

 

Having fertility problems does not mean you are infertile. It means you're having infertility or fertility problems; problems that have solutions and treatments.

 

Often it means that you are sub-fertile, rather than infertile.

 

Having these problems does not mean you will not become pregnant either. It may take longer, it may take fertility treatment. It may even be as simple as timing ovulation correctly.

 

If you are 35 or under, take a year of properly timed sexual relations and see if you become pregnant. If you are over 35, six months is long enough to try to conceive before seeing a board certified reproductive endocrinologist. 

 

Having a baby isn't always easy. Sometimes the help that you need is very simple and very non-intrusive. Know how to find help that will support you in the ways that you want and need. 

 

We are here for any questions that you may have. Please know that you can ask and that we will find the answers.